A different kind of quail - Arles

It turns out that quails are a regional specialty in this part of Provence, hence multiple handpainted renditions in this shop in Arles. I have never seen so many quails in my life! 

Arles is also a different kind of city from Avignon or Aix-en-Provence.  While Avignon and Aix are genteel, classy, "safe", I found Arles has a very different flavour, one that grew on me after the initial unease and as I got more comfortable with the narrow alleys and slightly dilapidated buildings.  It is colourful with a different timbre.   Maybe this was why Van Gogh liked to hang out here.  This is the cafe that he painted in The Cafe Terrace and below that, you see the hospital courtyard which he painted.  He was admitted to this hospital after he cut off part of his ear.

Artists continue to hang out.  Here is one attempting to render the gorgeous portal of the romanesque Church of the St. Trophime Cloisters (more on this in the next post).

Then there are those who coordinated their washings

and their dinner backdrops...

Streets of colour

I would have problems deciding too!

A different kind of L'Arlesienne...

See the one Van Gogh painted at:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/51.112.3

And a Happy July 4th to my American family and friends!